Harvest Moon: Jungle Fever
by LittleMissWolfie
Summary: When Chelsea came to visit her cousin Mark on his farm on the Sunshine Islands chain, she never bargained for a pushy, persistant rich boy to be hitting on her. One day when avoiding Will, she accidentally crosses a rotten bridge, causing it to crumble and fall, trapping her in the jungle with two odd men. Will she survive and...find love, too? Companion to Symphony of the Bells.
1. Prologue: I Dreamed a Dream

**Prologue: I Dreamed a Dream**

_Chelsea P.O.V._

"_Chelsea!" my cousin, Molly, called, trotting over to where I sat underneath the shade of the big peach tree in the center of Mom and Uncle Jack's field. "Auntie Claire and Uncle Cliff are here!"_

_I merely looked up from my book. "Okay."_

_Molly shrugged and skipped over to meet Aunt Claire, Uncle Cliff, and our cousins Mark and Rachel. They lived in Mineral Town, and even though it was so close to Forget-Me-Not Valley, they didn't get to visit very much. I loved them to death, don't get me wrong, but it was one of the few days that I wasn't in bed with a fever and I wanted to enjoy it._

_A sudden rustling in the trees at the edge of the field made me start, and I couldn't control my five-year-old urges driving me to investigate. Silently I slipped to where the noise came from, and came face-to-face with a boy about my age. He grinned broadly at me and placed a finger to his lips. "I just slipped away from my parents," he confided as if talking to a cohort-in-arms. "I just wanted to explore a little before we go home. I'm Caleb."_

"_Chelsea," I returned. "It's nice to meet you, Caleb."_

"_You, too!" Suddenly he began to fish in his pockets determinedly until his face lit up with pride. He pulled a small, beautiful blue stone from his pocket and held it out to me. "I have to leave soon, but this rock is magic. If you keep it with you always, we'll meet again. Promise?"_

_I took the stone, admiring its beauty, and held out my pinky. "Pinky promise," I agreed. _

_We linked fingers, and then he was gone._

**Okay, guys. This is a part of my Harvest Moon series. The timeline coincides with that of Symphony of the Bells, so I'll update this whenever I update the other one. I hope you guys enjoy this, too.**


	2. Chapter 1: Of Pushy Rich Guys

**Chapter One: Of Pushy Rich Guys and Rotten Bridges**

_Chelsea P.O.V._

I was woken from my dream at my cousin's rooster's caw, making me swear under my breath.

I slipped out of bed, grumbling, and proceeded to my borrowed dresser. I was spending my summer break from college at my cousin Mark's farm in the Sunshine Islands chain. It was a pretty place, that was for sure, and I had to admit that I'd missed the fresh air that only the countryside can offer. The salty air from the sea was an added bonus, as well.

I dressed in my jeans and orange shirt, tied my bandanna in my hair, and put on my blue stone necklace before I left my borrowed room in favor of the kitchen. Mark was already sitting at the table, fully dressed with his blue baseball cap backwards on his blond mop of hair. His green eyes were sparkling mischievously. "G'mornin', Chels."

"Good morning, Mark. Did you have anything planned for us today?" I asked, picking an apple up off of the counter and eating it instead of having toast like him. My metabolism was the slowest in the entire Saunders clan, so I hardly ate. It was normal.

"Nah, I just gotta get movin' on plantin' my Summer crops. Time is money, after all. Why?"

"Oh, I just wanted to explore a little. Is that okay?"

"Totally."

"Thanks." I gave him a peck on the cheek, which he groaned at, and began to put a few water bottles in my (also borrowed) rucksack. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Have fun!" he called after me as the door swung shut. "An' be careful! A lot of the bridges aren't quite fixed yet!"

For the first hour or so I simply wandered about. That is, until I ran into…_Will._

He was a nice guy, don't get me wrong! But he was so…full of himself that I couldn't keep a straight face when I was talking to him. By the time noon rolled around, my purpose wasn't exploration but evasion.

The guy wouldn't give up, though. Eventually I found a dense gathering of trees, like a jungle, and eagerly dashed across the bridge to get away from my blond pursuer.

As soon as I was across the bridge, though, it…_crumbled. _It freaking crumbled, right there, and fell into the deep river below. Undeterred, I trekked through the forest until I could no longer hear Will's cries.

* * *

_Mark P.O.V._

A little before three that afternoon, just as I was finishing up, Will ran into my field, eyes wide. "Mark!" he yelled, nearly shattering my eardrums with his loud, accented voice. "Something terrible's happened!"

_Break a nail while you were riding your freaking white horse?_ I thought. Instead, I said, "What?"

"Chelsea got trapped in the jungle and the bridge collapsed!"

After a short pause, I dropped my watering can, not caring about all the water splashing out of it. "What?"

"I was just as surprised! There's a _wild man_ living in that jungle, Uncle says! Who knows what he'll do to her?"

I crumpled on the ground, holding my head. "Chelsea…"

**Okay, this chapter sucks ass, but I was really eager to post my less-sucky chapter of Symphony of the Bells. I promise this will get more interesting, but until she meets Shea...zzzzz**

**Also, I just put a poll up regarding the next generation of these fics. Please go vote.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Wild Man

**Chapter Two: The Wild Man**

_Chelsea P.O.V._

I eventually had to stop and go to sleep under one of the trees since it was getting too dark. The heat of the jungle made me shed my outer shirt and almost convinced me to take off my under shirt as well. However, I was _not_ like the rest of my family—I was a college student planning to be a social worker, and I refused to walk around outside half-naked.

I slept rather well, considering my conditions, and woke just as the sun was beginning to rise. I had a few chugs from my water bottle—the last one—before I started walking again. I simply tied my outer shirt around my waist instead of putting it back on.

For some reason, I was completely calm about this whole ordeal. The jungle kind of reminded me of the forest around the farm I grew up on, and that reminded me of my dream. I unconsciously fingered the blue stone on my necklace. _Caleb._

When the sun was fairly high up in the sky, I heard a long, low growl. I slowly turned around and froze when I saw a huge black bear. _Did bears even _live_ in the jungle? _I felt faint and my throat began to burn. _Damn asthma!_

The last thing I saw before I passed out was the bear rearing on his hind legs and the last thing I heard was a loud cry.

* * *

_Shea P.O.V._

Bear.

I picked up my spear and began to run towards the bear. Bear meat was filling and it was easy for Wada to keep, so it didn't go to waste. I hated waste.

The run was quick. I ran fast. When I got to the bear I quickly speared it, killing it in one blow. I didn't like to cause pain unless it was deserved. As I went to tie it, I noticed something near it.

It looked like a man, but it was small. The hair was long and it was wearing quite a bit of furs. The chest was slightly bulged, as well, and the skin was pale. I decided to take the odd man with me when I took the bear back to Wada. "Wada know what it is. Wada know everything."

* * *

_Chelsea P.O.V._

I woke slowly and groggily, hanging on to the last wisp of sleep I could catch. I really didn't want to wake up, because I was warm.

However, my eyes forced themselves open.

_Holy crap._

I was in what seemed to be a prehistoric hut, complete with a bundle of furs to act as a bed and a fire pit. A fire was lit—the source of the warmth, most likely—and it cast a dim glow to light the room. I sat slowly so I didn't make myself dizzy, and immediately pulled the furs higher up to hide my nakedness. _Why the hell was I naked?_

Before I could formulate an idea, someone came into the hut. My breath caught in my throat—not because of my asthma—when I saw him.

He was tall, with a tanned, muscular, very _bare_ chest covered with scars, both new and old. His hair was a light brown and completely windblown. He wore only a loincloth, so I could clearly see the V of his hips. My face flushed and my mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

I suddenly hunched over and started coughing. _Shit._ "Can I…have some…water?" I asked between coughs. The man looked quite startled, but understood, and he quickly brought me a wooden bowl of water. I tipped it back and drank it hungrily, and started my breathing exercises. _In, out. In, out._ A few minutes later, my asthma attack was successfully averted. "Thank you."

The man stooped to look at me, his face uncomfortably close to mine. It also served to remind me of how little he was wearing and how naked I was. "What you?" he asked, voice low and rough.

"I-I'm Chelsea," I said.

"No. What you?"

"I don't understand what you're asking me."

Another person then made his appearance. He was an older man with the same tanned skin as the first one, with grey-streaked hair and hunched shoulders. "Hello…" he mumbled.

"Wada!" the first man exclaimed, jumping up like an eager puppy and running to him.

"Shea…rude…"

The first man—Shea—looked confused as Wada made his way over to me. "Welcome…to jungle…woman…"

Had it been anyone else that said that, I would have bristled. But coming from this man—a man who had obviously never been to any kind of school—I knew he simply stating the obvious. I was a woman, and I was, apparently, welcome in their home. So instead I smiled at him. "Thank you for welcoming me. My name is Chelsea."

Shea butted in then. "What woman mean?" he asked Wada.

"Woman…man…mate…make children…" Wada explained slowly, tapping his worn cane on the floor of the hut. "Woman…delicate. Man…strong."

Shea still looked confused, but less. He turned to me and smiled broadly. "Me Shea! That Wada!"

"It's nice to meet you both."

* * *

_Shea P.O.V_

Chelsea was pretty, I thought. Not the kind of pretty like a flower or a cat, but a different kind of pretty. Her smile made me happy. I wondered why.

Wada said that Chelsea was a woman, and that a man and a woman mate to make children. Wada said that she is delicate and that I had to protect her. I hoped I would be the one to mate her. I want to protect her.

"Shea?" Chelsea said, catching my attention. I turned to look at her. Her face was red. I wondered why. "Can I have some new clothes?"

Clothes? Wada said, "Skins…like loincloth…longer…cover chest…"

I nodded eagerly and dived into a pile of furs we kept for the winter, fishing one out that I thought would fit her. I handed it to her, which she accepted gratefully. "Can you…turn around while I get dressed?"

I was about to ask why when Wada grabbed my shoulder and forced me to turn away from her. There were a few moments of rustling before she said, "I'm decent."

We turned back around. Chelsea was a lot prettier wearing the skins. Her hair was long and light and it looked nice with the furs. "Chelsea stay here?" I asked.

She looked puzzled for a moment but smiled at us. "Yeah, I'll be here for a while."

I grinned and gave a loud whoop. "Shea protect Chelsea. Chelsea like jungle!"

Her laugh was pretty. Like bells. "I'm sure I will."**  
**

**Like one of my reviewers said, "Shea the sexy-wild-man-who-barely-knows-English" has made an appearance. Oh, I love Shea to death. He's so fun to write with! When Shea's thinking, he's obviously not thinking in broken English. He can understand his own thoughts perfectly, but he can't speak very well. It's like a child with a speech impediment.**

**On another note: I am thinking about making lemons for this! I'm not very experienced with lemons, though, so they might not be too good. I'll put up another poll (polls galore!) asking whether I should include them in the actual stories or make another story altogether.**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 3: A Learning Experience

**Chapter Three: A Learning Experience**

_Chelsea P.O.V_

It was surprisingly easy for me to meld into Shea and Wada's small community. I was given a pallet in the corner of the room for me to rest on and, when I inspected the men's pallets, I found that they had purposely given me a softer one. When Shea found out that I didn't eat meat, he began hunting less and foraging more, accustoming me to the taste of smoked mushrooms and fish. I even found myself a job in collecting water, wood, and mending Wada and Shea's furs.

About a week after I started staying in the jungle was the first storm of the summer. Since there was a hole in the roof for the smoke from the fire, the fire wasn't lit, and there were leaks everywhere in the ceiling, so I had a mini panic attack about my asthma.

Shea, however, had different ideas. He jumped out of his pallet and threw his bed furs over me, tucking them in all around me and making me considerably warmer. "Chelsea look cold," he said in explanation as he tucked them in. "Chelsea get sick if cold."

"Thank you, Shea," I said. "That's very kind of you."

And then I started coughing.

As I had that first day, my body immediately hunched over, yanking the furs out from around me. Tears sprung to my eyes and my throat burned as I coughed and I could hardly breathe.

Shea jumped up from where he'd been kneeling next to my pallet, startled. "What wrong?" he demanded worriedly.

"My…asthma…" I choked out in one of my few seconds of peace. "It happens…all the time. I just need…water."

He hurriedly grabbed a bowl of water and shoved it into my hands. I gulped it down greedily, wincing slight at the freezing liquid hitting the sensitive inside of my throat. When it was completely drained, Shea grabbed the bowl from me and shoved it under one of the leaks and grabbed another as I took several deep breaths. We continued this system until the coughing stopped.

Exhausted, I fell back onto my pallet and kept taking deep breaths to calm my speeding heart. Shea leaned over me, face still concerned. "Chelsea okay now?"

I nodded. "I'm okay, Shea. I cough like that a lot, and I usually use my inhaler, but I dropped it when the bear attacked me. I'll just have to drink a lot of water and be careful when it rains like this."

A contemplating look overtook his face as he suddenly vaulted to his feet and dashed out into the storm, despite my futile calls for him to come back.

When Wada awoke, he came to check on me, still wrapped up in my warm furs. "Heard…..coughing. Chelsea…okay?"

"I'm okay, Wada," I said softly, "but Shea's run off."

A grin overtook his face. "Looking…..medicine…coughing….instincts."

I took a moment to decipher his speech. "His instincts are telling him to look for medicine for my coughing?"

The old man nodded, delighted I'd understood him. "Shea….protect….family. Chelsea…..family."

I felt a swelling in my chest and I sat up to smile at Wada. "Really?"

"Yes. Chelsea…..part…..tribe. Chelsea…..stay…..jungle."

My stomach dropped. _They expected me to stay._

How could I? I was going to be the first member of the Saunders family to graduate from college! I was going to be educated and live in the city where I could easily get all the medicine I needed and I could educate my children. My future husband, wherever he was, was going to help out with finances so our family could live comfortably! How could I give up all my dreams?

Even as I thought that, Shea's face flashed through my mind. In just a short week, I _had_ become part of their small tribe. _Maybe I _could_ live a life here._

Before I had any more time to think on it, Shea burst into the hut, nearly soaked through and grinning victoriously. I automatically leapt out of my pallet and grabbed one of the worn furs to drape around his shoulders. "_What_ were you _thinking_?" I demanded, and his eyes grew wide.

"Chelsea worried?"

"Yes, I was worried! What if you had gotten sick or lost?" I sighed and, on impulse, wrapped my arms around his waist.

His chest was hard and soft at the same time, radiating heat like a furnace. The darkened skin there smelled like the rain falling outside and something else that I couldn't place. He stilled for a moment but returned the hug quickly, tucking my head under his chin. "Shea sorry. Shea worried about Chelsea. Went to find enhayler."

En. Hay. Ler. Inhaler. I stepped away and covered my mouth with my hands. "You found my inhaler?"

A hand I hadn't realized had been curled into a fist unfurled, revealing the yellow L shaped piece of plastic, the medicine canister still safely lodged inside. "This enhayler?"

"Yes, this is my inhaler! Oh, Goddess, Shea! Thank you _so_ much!" My arms were around him again, this time around his neck, and I buried my face in his shoulder. I felt his skin heat again and I quickly let go, only to start coughing again. Relieved at the slight weight of the plastic in my palm, I shook it and took two puffs of it, trying to ignore Shea's gaze on me.

* * *

_Chelsea P.O.V._

As I was washing our furs a few days later, Wada approached me, hobbling slightly and leaning heavily on his cane as always. I smiled up at him from my position next to the river and scooted back on my knees. "Hi, Wada."

"Chelsea…" he said in way of greeting, patting my head softly with one of his wrinkled hands.

"What's up?"

He took a minute to gather his words. "Chelsea…teach…..Shea…?"

"You want be to teach Shea? About what?"

"Read…..write…maths…" As if he wasn't sure I'd agree, he added, "Wada…..tell…of tribe…."

I thought it over for a moment before slowly nodding my head. At least it would give me something to do in the evenings. Plus, I was rather eager to learn more about their "tribe." "Sure, Wada. I'll start this evening, okay?" He merely gave me a silent nod before he hobbled back off.

* * *

_Shea P.O.V_

I was very confused when I got back to the hut that evening. Chelsea was standing outside, the dim light of the setting sun catching in her light hair and making it glow slightly. I liked it. "What wrong, Chelsea?" I asked.

She gave me a soft smile, making a weird feeling appear in my stomach. "Wada asked me to teach you how to read and write. I don't have paper, so we'll have to do it in the dirt." She spun on her heel and walked to a nearby patch of dirt with such confidence that I felt no choice but to follow. So I did, squatting next to her as she knelt next to it. She picked up a stick and began making odd markings in the dirt. When she was done, she dusted off her hands and pointed the stick at the markings. "This is the alphabet. Every word in our language is made of different patterns of these letters. There's even a song to remember them!" She hummed it, and, after a while, I found that I could remember some of them.

"How make Chelsea?" I asked at one point.

She smiled and picked the stick back up. "C-h-e-l-s-e-a. Chelsea."

"Shea?"

"S-h-e-a."

I was enjoying myself immensely at this point. "Wada!"

Chelsea chuckled softly under her breath and began "writing" again. "W-a-d-a."

I clapped my hands together lightly. "Writing fun! Shea try?"

She handed me the stick and said, "Go ahead."

I leaned forward and studied the words Chelsea had already written. Shakily, I tried to copy her writing. "C-h-e-l-s-e-a. Shea right?"

A shocked expression overtook her face. "Shea, you did it perfectly!"

"Shea fast learner?"

Another laugh escaped her throat. "_Very_ fast learner. Good job, Shea."

**Shea's falling in _looooove~_ Of course, he doesn't realize it yet. Chelsea's getting there, too.**

**ANYWAYS, I'd like to tell you the result of my lemons poll.**

***Epic drumroll***

**THEY'RE IN!**

**I'll put an AN at the beginning of each lemony chapter so those of you with innocent minds have an advanced warning, but fear not! The lemon for this story won't appear until later.**

**Please review~**


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